Orionid Meteor Showers to Peak Under Clear Skies Tonight

A crisp October weekend is ahead under mostly sunny skies with daytime temperatures close to 60 degrees and nighttime lows dropping into the 40s. The storm system which brought the rain and wind earlier this week has moved away, and high pressure will control our weather through Sunday. One of our viewers sent this photo of a beautiful pumpkin.

The weather should be just about perfect for pumpkin picking, taking a hay ride, watching a high school football game, or viewing the Orionid meteor showers. In fact, this year's Orionids show is scheduled to reach its maximum viewing just before sunrise tomorrow morning. The meteors are known as "Orionids" because the fireballs seem to fan out from a region to the north of Orion's second brightest star, Betelgeuse.

Currently, the constellation Orion appears ahead of the Earth in our annual journey around the Sun. The constellation does not completely rise above the Eastern horizon until after 11 p.m. local daylight time. At its best, several hours later around 5 a.m., Orion will be highest in the sky toward the South.

The Orionids are bits of debris shed long ago by Halley's Comet which the Earth intersects during its annual orbit around the Sun. The comet last came through the Solar System in 1985-86, and its nucleus shed a layer of dirty ice about six meters thick on average. During that time the dirt bits have spread all around Halley's orbit, which is why some of the particles now intersect the Earth even though the comet's orbit does not.

The Orionids typically produce around 20 to 25 meteors per hour under a clear, dark sky. Orionid meteors are normally dim and not well seen from urban locations, so you'd do best to find a safe rural location to see the most Orionid activity. After peaking tomorrow morning, activity will begin to slowly descend, dropping back to around five per hour by October 26. The last stragglers usually appear sometime in early to mid- November.

Across southwestern Connecticut, the meteor shower rises high in the Eastern sky, at least 45 degrees high, by 2 a.m. That's when the meteor activity begins to reach its peak. If you plan on watching the Orionids, find a dark spot with an open view of the sky. Sky and Telescope Magazine encourages viewers to "Arrange the chair so that any bright lights are behind you out of sight, bundle up, lie back, and watch the stars. Be patient."

Our weather should be just about perfect to see the Orionids tonight. We can expect clear skies and a waning crescent Moon late tonight. However, it will be quite chilly with low temperatures dropping into the 40s along the shoreline and possibly the upper 30s well inland. Make sure you dress warmly. I'll be outside watching the meteor showers, too.

Paul

Colorful Viewers' Autumn Weather Photos

Several of our viewers sent photos to me this week illustrating the splendor of Autumn and our local weather. Ralph Fato, who is a regular contributor to our News 12 Connecticut Facebook page, wrote, "(What an) amazing sunrise this morning. I took this with my camera phone while walking my dog. I’m sure there was a better view at the beach. Wow. Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in morning, sailor's warning.” Thanks, Ralph.

Hillka Schulz of Stamford carries her camera just about everywhere. She wrote, "Here are two pictures from our beautiful state in Autumn. The first one was taken in New Canaan, and the pumpkins are in Stamford. Happy Fall Season to all of you!"

Randy Brody took this photo of "a brilliant, but windy day at Compo Beach, Westport," last Sunday. Just look at that sky!

Jennifer James of Norwalk wrote, "Maybe you can use one of these on your weather forecast so that we can see some sunshine on the rainy days ahead. I took them at a small private beach in Norwalk."

Special thanks to all who sent their photos to us. I sincerely appreciate it. Keep 'em coming.

Paul

Mid October Weather Can Be Fickle

Strong thunderstorms pushed through southwestern Connecticut last night, producing heavy rain and some localized flooding on area roads. Now, a warm and humid air mass will set the stage for more showers and a potentially strong thunderstorms this afternoon with high temperatures in the lower 70s. The mercury climbed to 68 degrees before daybreak, which is five degrees above the normal high for the date.

This is the time of the year when almost any kind of weather is possible. In fact, the record high temperature for today is 80 degrees, which was established in 1990. Just three years later, a record low of 32 was recorded at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford. That's nearly a 50-degree range.

You may recall that a Northeast wind brought unseasonably cold temperatures to southwestern Connecticut two years ago tomorrow, turning a cold rain into snow from Redding to Wilton and eventually to Stratford and Westport. The high temperature of 44 degrees was recorded just after midnight that morning, and the mercury kept falling through the 30s during the afternoon. A coating of snow blanketed West Redding.



Consider the normal high temperature for this time of the year is 63 degrees, and you'll quickly get an idea of how unusually cold it was. In fact, by late afternoon on October 15, 2009, it looked and felt more like mid December rather than mid October. The normal high temperature for December 15 is 41 degrees, which is where the mercury was two years ago. That's five degrees colder than the normal low of 46! However, October snow is not all that unusual, believe it or not.

The earliest measured snow across southwestern Connecticut fell on Sunday morning, October 4, 1987, when a half-inch of snow was recorded at Sikorsky Memorial Airport. There have been 13 dates this month on which a trace of snow fell, including October 29, 2008. The average snowfall for the month, based on 40 years of averages, is a trace, so the wet snow on October 15, 2009, was certainly not all that unusual.

Our weather will turn the page to blustery and more seasonable conditions this weekend. Tomorrow will be partly sunny and quite windy with a high in the low-to-mid 60s. Sunday will feature a mix of sun and clouds with highs in the 60s. A quick shower is possible Monday before more rain moves in by the middle of next week.

Have a good weekend.

Paul

Whatever Happened to the Asian Lady Beetle Bug?

The recent stretch of unseasonably mild weather through Columbus Day helped push the average monthly temperature to 60.8 degrees, which is nearly three degrees above normal for October. In fact, Monday's high of 85 degrees tied the record for the date. Although I welcomed the warmer weather, I began to worry about the annual infestation of an unwelcome house guest.

About a week ago I started checking the windows and doors outside my home for signs of the Asian lady beetle. You may recall that two years ago, there was an infestation of these "stink bugs." Hundreds and even thousands of these harmless creatures were invading homes and businesses in October, 2009. However, last year I didn't see any.

It was exactly two years ago that I wrote about the invasion of the lady beetle. The onset of warmer air in mid-October usually signals the return of the ladybugs, lured out of forests by the warm daytime sun and driven indoors with the evening chill. It happens every year just about this time, and it’s not that unusual, according to Eric Day, manager of the Insect Identification Lab at Virginia Tech. “You get these warm days (in) October, and they get active,” he said. “If you have a house that’s infested, you can literally find thousands and thousands inside.”

Two years ago, after I saw many of them inside my home, I decided to examine the windows more closely. It didn’t take long to figure out how the ladybugs were getting between the screen and window. The insulation at the top of the screens was all but destroyed, and the little creatures were flying inside. I needed to take action by securing the window and door frames with strong tape. I did the same thing each of the past two years, just in case.

Day said the type of ladybug that causes the ruckus is known as the Asian lady beetle, an invasive species present in the Eastern United States for about 15 years. How the bugs got here is unclear, but the best guess, he opined, is that they hitched a ride on cargo ships or escaped from the United States Department of Agriculture experimental fields, a charge the agency denies.

As if the mere presence of tens of thousands of bugs in your living room isn’t enough, they emit a gut-churning musky odor that lingers after they die, and they die quickly in dry, indoor air. They also leave yellowish stains on everything, caused by a defense mechanism called “reflex bleeding.” The ladybugs aren’t particularly harmful, and in most cases, the bugs will just retreat or die without any treatment.

If the lady bugs haven't appeared by now, I think we're going to be okay. Much more seasonable temperarures are expected this weekend and next week after a cold front moves through the region tomorrow. Daytime temperatures may not escape the 50s by the end of next week. Let's hope we don't see the lady bugs this year.

Paul

Looking Ahead to October

October is my favorite month of the year for a variety of reasons. Naturally, we begin to experience Autumn across southwestern Connecticut, and the pleasant temperatures afford us the opportunity to enjoy the many outdoor activities planned throughout the month. Whether it be a hayride with the family, a visit to a pumpkin patch, or a seat at the local high school football game, October is just about the ideal month to be outside.

Temperatures begin to cool dramatically throughout the month. In fact, the average daily mean temperature at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford falls from 60 degrees October 1 to 50 degrees by Halloween. The average daily high temperature drops from 69 degrees to 58 degrees, and the overnight low cools from 52 degrees to 42 by the end of the month.

The warmest temperature ever recorded in October in southwestern Connecticut was 89 degrees, which was set October 8 of 2007. That broke the previous mark of 86 degrees set on October 6, 1997. It occurred one day after another record high of 78 degrees was established on October 7, 2007. The mercury also hit 85 degrees on October 10, 1949.

The warmest October on record, not surprisingly, happened four years ago (2007) when the mercury averaged 61.8 degrees, breaking the previous mark of 60.2 degrees in 1971. The coldest Octobers on record were in 1981 and 1988 when the temperature averaged 50.5 degrees. The coldest temperature ever recorded for the month was 26 degrees, set three times, most recently on Halloween of 1988. The other two times were on October 24, 1969, and October 20, 1972.

October’s average rainfall is 3.54 inches. The wettest October ever recorded happened in 1955 when 10.72 inches fell across southwestern Connecticut. On three occasions over four inches of rain fell in one day: October 7, 1972 (4.14″), October 15, 1955 (4.76″), and October 19, 1996 (4.12″). Believe it or not, a half-inch of snow actually fell in these parts on Sunday morning, October 4, 1987. The driest October (0.33″) happened in 1963.

Daylight dramatically decreases this month. This Saturday, October 1, we enjoy 11 hours and 45 minutes of daylight. The Sun rises at 5:49 and sets at 5:34. However, by the middle of the month, October 15, the Sun rises at 6:04 and sets at 5:12. By Halloween, after the return to standard time, we only have 10 hours and 26 minutes of daylight. Sunrise happens at 5:23 while it sets at 4:49 in the afternoon.

We don’t “fall back” to Eastern Standard Time until Sunday morning, November 6, at 2 o’clock. That’s when we set our clocks back one hour and gain one extra hour of sleep. Daylight Saving Time was extended for one month beginning in 2007 as a result of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. So, the Halloween trick-or-treaters will get one extra hour of daylight in the evening.

Paul

Marking the 26th Anniversary of Hurricane Gloria

It has been nearly a month since Tropical Storm Irene delivered heavy rain, damaging winds, and knocked out power for several days for many people across southwestern Connecticut. More than 800,000 customers of United Illuminating and Connecticut Light and Power were without electricity, setting a record in Connecticut. The previous record happned during Hurricane Gloria, which occurred 26 years ago today.

I was a rookie educator at the time, having just secured my first position as a seventh grade teacher at a private school in New Haven. Weather was my passion, naturally, and I was able to share my excitement at the upcoming storm with my students. Just three weeks into the profession, I received a week's vacation unexpectedly.

I was also a weekend newscaster and disc jockey at WMMM radio in Westport. I received a phone call from program director Gary Zenobia just after I returned home from school on Thursday afternoon requesting that I host an overnight newscast to inform our listeners about the impending storm and emergency measures which may have to be taken. WMMM was a daytime-only station, meaning it was on the air during daylight hours and signed off at sunset, but this time it was granted an exception by the Federal Communications Commission.

As my family was applying tape to picture windows, securing lawn furniture, stocking up on non-perishable food, and checking batteries for flashlights and portable radios, I was packing a bag for my overnight stay at the radio station. We had a few reporters "on location" at various shelters throughout town, and then-First Selectman William Seiden joined me on the air most of the night to reassure listeners that their safety was our primary concern.

The overnight hours were anxious moments for all of us as we awaited the arrival of the storm. Local shelters began to fill up quickly, and I remember answering the telephone every couple of minutes from town residents who were sharing their concerns and fears. Gloria struck fast and furiously. The hurricane hit New York and Connecticut as a moderate hurricane early the next day. At the time of landfall on Long Island, Gloria had sustained winds of 85 miles per hour, while rapidly moving forward at 35 miles per hour.

This combination of sustained winds and rapid forward motion produced major hurricane conditions and gusts to 115 mph across a narrow area of Eastern Long Island, New York. Although Gloria was not a major hurricane when it struck Connecticut, it was still the most damaging hurricane to strike the state since Carol in 1954. The rain began overnight, and before long the winds became a serious matter.

As the morning wore on, Gloria continued to accelerate northward off the Eastern seaboard, brushing the coastlines of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey with hurricane-force gusts. Later that morning, Gloria finally crossed the coast of the United States mainland near western Long Island about 10-miles East of Kennedy International Airport. Passing over central Long Island, Gloria crossed the Connecticut coast near Bridgeport about 40 minutes later with sustained winds of 80 mph. By that time, I was already home, but there was no way I was going to go to sleep.

I recall the eye of the hurricane passing almost directly overhead by midday. That's when the skies cleared, the winds calmed dramatically, and the damage was plainly visible. Downed trees, power lines, and debris scattered just about everywhere greeted us as we stepped outside. Naturally, the power was out, too, and we remained "in the dark" for almost six days. Needless to say, I didn't have to worry about any lesson plans for quite awhile.

There were very few wind reports near the area of landfall in New York and Connecticut due to the complete evacuation of Coast Guard personnel from stations across the region. The strongest official wind gust recorded on Long Island was 84 mph at Islip. In Connecticut, the National Weather Service at Sikorsky Airport in Stratford recorded sustained winds of 74 mph with a gust to 92 mph.

A barometric pressure of 28.37 inches was measured by aircraft when Gloria crossed Long Island. The National Weather Service at Kennedy International Airport recorded a minimum pressure of 28.57 inches, while Sikorsky Airport in Bridgeport, Connecticut, recorded a low pressure of 28.47 inches. This was the lowest barometric pressure recorded in Connecticut and New York since Donna in 1960, 25 years earlier.

Gloria produced weak Category Two hurricane conditions across southwestern Connecticut. The storm continued to lose intensity as it passed over Long Island. Peak wind gusts in south-central and southeastern Connecticut were close to 95 mph as the tropical cyclone swept over the region. The metropolitan New Haven area was hit with wind gusts of 90 mph and heavy rain. There were only a few reports of minimal structural damage in southwestern Connecticut. Tree damage in Connecticut was heavy within 10 to 20 miles of the coast, and along the coast from around Bridgeport to New London.

By late Friday afternoon, the storm was long gone, but the cleanup was just staring. Since the power was out, my family and I headed to nearby Bridgeport to have dinner at a restaurant which was operating on emergency generators. I still think of Gloria whenever I drive past that restaurant. In fact, I still have my framed certificate from Mr. Seiden thanking me for my service to Westport. It was a storm I'll never forget.

Paul